Most behavioral experiments within circadian research are based on the analysis of locomotor activity. This paper introduces scientists to chronobiology by explaining the basic terminology used within the field. Furthermore, it aims to assist in designing, carrying out, and evaluating wheel-running experiments with rodents, particularly mice. Since light is an easily applicable stimulus that provokes strong effects on clock phase, the paper focuses on the application of different lighting conditions.

Light, including artificial light, has a range of effects on human physiology and behavior and can therefore alter human physiology when inappropriately timed. One example of potential light-induced disruption is the effect of light on circadian organization, including the production of several hormone rhythms. Changes in light–dark exposure (e.g., by nonday occupation or transmeridian travel) shift the timing of the circadian system such that internal rhythms can become desynchronized from both the external environment and internally with each other, impairing our ability to sleep and wake at the appropriate times and compromising physiologic and metabolic processes. Light can also have direct acute effects on neuroendocrine systems, for example, in suppressing melatonin synthesis or elevating cortisol production that may have untoward long-term consequences. For these reasons, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences convened a workshop of a diverse group of scientists to consider how best to conduct research on possible connections between lighting and health. According to the participants in the workshop, there are three broad areas of research effort that need to be addressed. First are the basic biophysical and molecular genetic mechanisms for phototransduction for circadian...

Light, including artificial light, has a range of effects on human physiology and behavior and can therefore alter human physiology when inappropriately timed. One example of potential light-induced disruption is the effect of light on circadian organization, including the production of several hormone rhythms. Changes in light–dark exposure (e.g., by nonday occupation or transmeridian travel) shift the timing of the circadian system such that internal rhythms can become desynchronized from both the external environment and internally with each other, impairing our ability to sleep and wake at the appropriate times and compromising physiologic and metabolic processes. Light can also have direct acute effects on neuroendocrine systems, for example, in suppressing melatonin synthesis or elevating cortisol production that may have untoward long-term consequences. For these reasons, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences convened a workshop of a diverse group of scientists to consider how best to conduct research on possible connections between lighting and health. According to the participants in the workshop, there are three broad areas of research effort that need to be addressed. First are the basic biophysical and molecular genetic mechanisms for phototransduction for circadian...

Access to energy, especially modern
sources, is a key to any development initiative. Based on
cross-section data from a 2004 survey of some 2,300
households in rural Bangladesh, this paper studies the
welfare impacts of household energy use, including that of
modern energy, and estimates the household minimum energy
requirement that could be used as a basis for an energy
poverty line. The paper finds that although the use of both
traditional (biomass energy burned in conventional stoves)
and modern (electricity and kerosene) sources improves
household consumption and income, the return on modern
sources is 20 to 25 times higher than that on traditional
sources. In addition, after comparing alternate measures of
the energy poverty line, the paper finds that some 58
percent of rural households in Bangladesh are energy poor,
compared with 45 percent that are income poor. The findings
suggest that growth in electrification and adoption of
efficient cooking stoves for biomass use can lower energy
poverty in a climate-friendly way by reducing carbon dioxide
emissions. Reducing energy poverty helps reduce income
poverty as well.

Energy poverty is a frequently used term
among energy specialists, but unfortunately the concept is
rather loosely defined. Several existing approaches measure
energy poverty by defining an energy poverty line as the
minimum quantity of physical energy needed to perform such
basic tasks as cooking and lighting. This paper proposes an
alternative measure that is based on energy demand. The
energy poverty line is defined as the threshold point at
which energy consumption begins to rise with increases in
household income. This approach was applied to
cross-sectional data from a comprehensive 2005 household
survey representative of both urban and rural India. The
findings suggest that in rural areas some 57 percent of
households are energy poor, versus 22 percent that are
income poor. For urban areas the energy poverty rate is 28
percent compared with 20 percent that are income poor.
Policies to reduce energy poverty would include support for
rural electrification, the promotion of more modern cooking
fuels...

This study examines the potential
options for implementing an energy efficient lighting
program in Afghanistan. It analyzes the range of energy
efficient options available in the region and identifies the
best choices for specific market segments in off-grid and
grid connected areas. Based on this analysis, it is
recommended that in rural areas, where grid (local or from
main network) is neither available nor likely to be
available soon, lead emitting diode (LED) lights coupled
with solar (photovoltaic) PV panels offer the least cost
solution for expansion of energy access. In grid-connected
areas, compact and tube fluorescent lamps are recommended
for existing household connections, as well as community and
street lighting. The analysis also shows there are numerous
barriers and potential problems with implementing an energy
efficiency program in Afghanistan. Therefore a phased
implementation program is suggested, with careful oversight
of the quality of products entering the market.

The present study describes, and
quantifies the provision of basic urban services to the
poor, in three Central American cities in El Salvador,
Honduras, and, Panama. It also identifies priority areas for
government intervention, using specialized household surveys
to quantify current deficits, and to rank households from
poor to rich, using aggregate consumption as the measure of
welfare. The urban poverty profile is examined in each city,
through migration, growth, and mobility patterns, including
education and labor characteristics. In terms of land and
housing, in all three cities, almost half of the poor who
reported being property owners have weak, or no
documentation over their properties, and, considerable
portions of the poor population, are not connected to the
public aqueduct, while few if any, receive help from the
government. High dependency on public transportation was
reported, e.g., one hundred percent in El Salvador, ninety
seven percent in Tegucigalpa. Institutional, and policy
issues explain the current situation: in terms of
decentralization...

The manual has been prepared to
encourage, and support the design of improved village
electrification schemes, anticipating its usefulness for
rural development agencies, as well as for national, and
provincial energy companies, and authorities. Theoretical
and field experiences describe power mini-grid - i.e., low
voltage network within a village, supplied at a single point
by a diesel genset, or micro-hydropower plant. The manual
focuses on the design of the system to distribute the power
generated to consumers, and, designs covered in this manual
range from low-cost designs to serve basic lighting needs,
to more conventional designs that may become interconnected
to the grid within the near future. Discussions on
mini-grids do not involve the use of medium voltage (MV),
however, it should be recognized that it may occasionally be
necessary to use MV to reduce overall costs. The manual
includes several examples of mini-grids, to illustrate the
context in which such projects have been implemented, with
additional detailed case studies. It also contains
qualitative descriptions of the issues to be addressed in
planning for mini-grids...

There are two initial challenges in
defining and measuring energy access: the absence of a
universal definition of energy access and the difficulty of
measuring any definition in an accurate manner. The
multi-tier approach to measuring energy access proposed in
the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Global Tracking
Framework of 2013 introduces a five-tier measurement
methodology based on various energy attributes, such as
quantity, quality, affordability, and duration of supply.
The approach makes it possible to compute a weighted index
of access to energy for a given geographical area. Separate
notes focus on multi-tier measurement of energy access for
households, productive enterprises, and community
institutions. The type of data required for a multi-tiered
assessment of energy access in a given area can be obtained
through surveys of actual energy availability and use among
a scientific sample of all users in a given category
(households, enterprises, community institutions). Survey
questionnaires elicit information about each energy
attribute...

This knowledge note is the first of
three case studies that concerns scaling up access to
electricity in Africa, Bangladesh, and Rwanda. Lighting
Africa, a joint IFC and World Bank program launched in 2007,
was the first private-sector-oriented effort to leverage new
LED lighting technologies to build sustainable markets that
provide safe, affordable, and modern off-grid lighting to
communities in Africa that lack access to electricity. By
2030 the program aims to enable the private sector to reach
250 million people who now depend on fuel-based lighting.
The case study for Africa is important, because the
continent faces a huge rural electricity deficit. Global
electrification in 2010 was estimated to be about 83
percent. The deficit of 17 percent encompasses some 1.2
billion people. Achieving universal access to modern energy
services is one of the three complementary objectives of the
Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. Lighting
Africa succeeded as a catalyst for the off-grid lighting
market in Sub-Saharan Africa. Another success is apparent in
the spectacular trajectory of solar lantern sales in Kenya.
On the climate front...

The work begins with an introductory part about Light Emitting Diode (or LEDs) and how these devices work. This report also shows an overview of different artificial light sources such as incandescent lamps, fluorescents tube and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The LED lighting is more energy-efficient than other artificial lighting, since they require less energy to operate. The following part of the work reports LEDs for General Lighting that describes some basic concepts such as spectrum, wavelength, Color Rendering Index (CRI), and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT); in order to establish and acquire the best possible lighting for people. The rest of the document is referred to LED lighting for horticulture applications. The Sun is an important energy source for humanity and plants. Its energy is capable of originating the photosynthesis process in plants. Nevertheless, the Scandinavian countries (such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) have problems to see the sun in autumn and winter season; therefore, they need to utilize artificial lighting to generate a huge variety of vegetation in greenhouses. LEDs are used in plant growth, since these devices supply good-quality lighting. Experimental measurements are also taken to combine the spectrum of various colors and to acquire the best light source with these blends...

Liberia suffered successive armed
conflicts from 1989 to 2003 that devastated its economy,
infrastructure, human capital, and institutions, including
those of the energy sector. The Accra peace agreement of
August 2003 marked a transition toward national
reconciliation and stabilization that allowed the country to
hold elections in 2005. The newly elected Government
endorsed programs and policies aimed at improving
governance, building capacity, and managing post conflict
recovery through stabilizing the economy and supporting
economic reconstruction. The purpose of this paper is to
present stakeholders in the Liberian energy sector-and the
Liberian citizen in general-with options that might expand
access and modernize energy services. The four pillars of
the National Energy Policy (NEP) are: 1) universal energy
access, including the development of an energy master plan;
2) least-cost production of energy and protection of the
most vulnerable households; 3) the adoption of international
best practices in the electricity sector; and 4) the
acceleration of public and private partnership in the
sector. The electricity demand estimate for Liberia has been
based on available data...

This study, the first to concentrate on
Bangladesh's energy systems and their effects on the
lives of rural people, drew on these background studies, as
well as other World Bank-financed research on IAP and rural
infrastructure, to present a rural energy strategy for the
country. The study's broad aim was to identify ways to
improve the living standard in rural Bangladesh through
better and more efficient use of energy, while creating an
environment conducive to growth and poverty reduction. For
any developing country, the crux of a rural energy strategy
is to have more and better choices for meeting rural demand
for energy through market mechanisms and sound policy. This
goes hand in hand with the development of competent
implementing institutions, which are critical to the
process. Also important are new supply- and demand side
technologies that can be used to raise rural people's
welfare and improve productivity to increase growth
prospects. Accordingly, the rural energy strategy advocated
by this study aims to satisfy the types of demand that
increase household welfare and raise rural growth prospects
as energy becomes a direct input into the production process.

Lighting is a basic human need and,
along with cooking, is a fundamental driver of fuel demand
for low-income households in the developing world. Women and
men without access to electricity typically rely on
expensive, inefficient and hazardous lighting devices like
kerosene lamps and candles to bring light to their homes and
businesses. The annual spending for fuel based lighting
worldwide approaches $40 billion, and a growing range of
modern lighting products that incorporate innovative designs
and business models are gaining market share. Modern
off-grid lighting devices combine the latest advances in
clean energy technology (for example, solar, LED, and
advanced batteries) to provide a safe, efficient, affordable
alternative to fuel based lighting. This report focuses on
women's role in the expanding market for modern
off-grid lighting. In the context of access to energy and
lighting, the aim of this work is to identify whether there
are any women-specific opportunities in the off-grid
lighting market that could enhance product profitability
while also improving lives.

This paper investigates two distinct, but related, topics in machine vision. The first is the effect of lighting on the performance of a 2D vision-based inspection system. The lighting component of machine vision has often been overlooked; an attempt was made to quantify the impact on existing machine vision algorithms. The second topic explores the applications of a data-rich 3D vision sensor that is capable of providing depth data in a wide range of ambient lightning conditions for industrial applications. A focus is placed on inspection systems with the depth data provided by the sensor.
Three basic lighting geometries were compared quantitatively based on discriminant analysis in an inspection task that checked for the presence of J-clips on an aluminum carrier. Two different LabVIEW® machine vision algorithms were used to evaluate backlight, bright field and dark field illumination on their ability to minimize the span of the pass (clip present) and fail (clip absent) sample sets, as well as maximize the separation between these sample sets. Results showed that there were clear differences in performance with the different lighting geometries, with over a 30% change in performance. Although it has long been accepted that the choice of lighting for machine vision systems is not a trivial exercise...